Nov. 13, 2024, 10:35 a.m.
Guest Post: Tahlee Rouillon & The Restful App
A way for neurodivergents to feel calm without meditation.
Postpartum Matters
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I’m writing this in at my kitchen table.
Instead of feeling the anxious energy inside of me that I usually feel when I am on a computer or any kind of screen, I feel largely calm.
This is no small part down to the music app that I am currently listening to.
I found Tahlee Rouillion and her music app, Restful, several months ago via a recommendation from a friend. The app is free to download and has several tracks you can listen to for free, though I quickly signed up to the paid tier. I would state, I have no affiliate connection with Tahlee, and will gain nothing from sharing this financially, I have just really benefitted from Tahlee’s work and thought you might too 😍.
I listen to the app every single day and I can’t speak more highly for the impact it has had for me in situations that I would usually find really unbearable. Listening to it has even helped ground me enough to be able to actually do work in the shared office at my university role.
Anyways, I often get people here asking me what helps regulate me amidst the noise and the chaos of small children and I honestly never had an answer, until now.
As soon as I realised how amazing this app could be for people who are currently overwhelmed - be it overstimulation from small children or work or social environments - I just knew I wanted to create space to shout about it through my newsletter.
And with that, I’d like to introduce ….
Hi everyone! I’m Tahlee. I write a Substack called about navigating the world as a neurodivergent person.
For most of my life, I never felt I was on the right wavelength. (You too?) But now that I know I'm neurodivergent everything about me makes so much more sense. I’m also a music composer and co-creator of the Restful app - a way for neurodivergents to feel calm without meditation. Here's how it all began...
In 2001, I had just finished my Bachelor of Music degree, and I felt completely burnt out. I was struggling with anxiety, depression, panic attacks & undiagnosed ADHD. Then I met a psychologist who introduced me to a therapeutic audio technique called binaural beats. I couldn’t believe how effective they were at calming me down. By working with her and accessing research journals at my old university, I was able to start incorporating them into my music.
But I didn't just want to focus on binaural beats. I wanted to have a holistic approach to calm. Because I knew the powerful effect music can have. Plus I felt like my zone of genius was translating emotions into sound. So I combined binaural beats with my blend of wordless vocals & contemporary ambient music. Which I called meditones®. (And I low-key love that autocorrect changes it to medicines).
Over the years, I saw meditones help soothe panic attacks, alleviate insomnia, and relieve pain. A few people even used them to give birth with ease! I’ve heard from time-poor parents that meditones have helped them rest better and stay more relaxed. They’ve played my music for their kids after school or even at bedtime to help them settle. Which is especially great for ASD & ADHD kids who we know struggle with sleep.
Up until a few years ago, I was selling my music as mp3 downloads. But I wanted to be able to share all the music I had made in a more accessible way. So my amazing life partner Harley suggested creating an app. He’s been working in web development for decades and created the entire Restful app experience for us. Together, we’re just a neurodivergent couple who want to help others feel calm without having to do anything. Because we both know it’s hard enough living in an overstimulating world, let alone having to learn or practice something just to feel chill.
Restful is free to download and use. There are several free tracks forever. Or you can access the full library with monthly or yearly subscriptions. If you’re keen to check it out, you can find us in the App Store and Google Play.
Big love,
Tahlee
A huge thank you to Tahlee for her beautiful words for this guest post. I hope you enjoyed it! If you’d like to collaborate and write a guest post for Postpartum Matters, I’d love to hear more from you!
Not sure if your writing will fit here? Below, I’ve written a little guide on who my subscribers are and what I’m looking for.
My subscribers are mainly parents and I broadly write about women's health and my own experiences, usually relating to autism or the postpartum period. Your guest post can include anything around those topics, describe what your work is, how it can benefit my people, and include a bit of the back story for how you got to doing what you do. I'd love to link folks to your newsletter too! I wonder how you think your work could help parents, pregnant folks and autistic folks and then when that all collides for folks too? It doesn't have to be long, but just enough to explain who you are, what you do and how it benefits my audience.
If this sounds like something you can create a guest post for, please email a draft copy (along with any photos if you’d like to) to: zoe@postpartummatters.co.uk
I can’t wait to read your story!
